Press release: 12.748-046/22

Around 5.13 million passenger cars registered in Austria at the end of 2021; three quarters more electric cars than in the previous year

Vienna, 2022-02-24 – According to Statistics Austria, 7.2 million motor vehicles were registered as of 31 December 2021. That was 1.6% or 116 156 vehicles more than one year earlier. Passenger cars, the most important type of vehicle in terms of share (71.2%), accounted for around 5.13 million, 0.8% more than on the previous year. This represents the smallest increase since 2008 (+0.9%). For class N1 lorries (up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight (gvw)) 493 387 (+7.7%) were registered, 9 861 (-2.2%) for class N2 lorries (3.5 t to 12 t gvw) and 44 785 (+2.0%) for class N3 lorries (over 12 t gvw). For tractors used for agriculture and forestry 478 695 (+1.3%) were registered and for articulated lorries 19 827 (+2.2%). Among single-track vehicles, 592 688 motorcycles (+3.8%) and 276 440 scooters (+0.7%) were reported.

Significant increase in alternative drive systems; regional differences in fuel types

The number of diesel-powered passenger cars decreased by 1.6% to 2.72 million (2020: -0.4%), while the number of petrol-powered cars (incl. flex-fuel) remained largely unchanged (+0.1%; 2.20 million; 2020: +0.7%). Electric passenger cars (BEVs) recorded – with 76 539 vehicles (2020: +50.8%) – an above-average increase of 72.0%. Passenger cars with combined drive systems (hybrids) also increased significantly (petrol-electric: +58.0%; diesel-electric: +94.7%) as did passenger cars with hydrogen drive (fuel cell; +22.2%). Declines were observed for passenger cars powered by natural gas (petrol-natural gas (bivalent) -5.9%; natural gas (monovalent) -3.6%).

The share of diesel-powered passenger cars in the total passenger car stock of the federal states was highest in Carinthia as well as in Upper Austria (55.3% and 55.1%, respectively), while Vorarlberg had the highest number of petrol-powered passenger cars (46.0%) and BEVs (2.1%). Vienna had the highest share of hybrid passenger cars (4.1%) and also topped the Austrian rankings in this area in terms of absolute numbers (29 694 passenger cars).

Almost half of the passenger car population older than ten years

Of the 5.13 million passenger cars, 222 231 were registered for the first time in 2021, regardless of the country of first registration (in Austria or imported). More than two-fifths of the passenger car stock (42.5% or 2.18 million passenger cars) was registered before 2012 and is thus older than ten years.

While the western provinces of Salzburg (35.4%), Tyrol (37.0%) and Vorarlberg (37.1%) have the lowest shares of passenger cars older than ten years, 45.8% of the passenger car stock in Burgenland was first registered before 2012, followed by Carinthia (45.5%), Upper Austria (44.5%), Styria (43.8%) and Lower Austria (43.6%). In Vienna, 42.4% of the passenger car stock was registered for the first time before 2012.

Highest level of motorisation in Burgenland, lowest in Vienna

Burgenland had the most passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants, and thus the highest motorisation rate of all the federal states (684 passenger cars per 1 000 inhabitants), followed by Lower Austria (661), Carinthia (656), Upper Austria (643), Styria (624) and Salzburg (572). Tyrol (550), Vorarlberg (547) and Vienna (375) were below the Austrian average of 572 cars per 1 000 inhabitants (preliminary population figures as of 1 January 2022).

Lower Austria had the highest number of registered passenger cars (1 122 613; share: 21.9%), followed by Upper Austria (967 736; share: 18.9%), Styria (782 311; share: 15.2%) and Vienna (725 100; share: 14.1%). Increases of between +0.7% and +1.0% were observed in all federal states. Burgenland had the smallest number of passenger cars (203 511; share: 4.0%), but the highest increase (+1.0%). The smallest increase in the number of passenger cars was recorded in Vorarlberg and Salzburg (+0.7% each).

Most popular brand VW followed by Audi and BMW; most popular BEV-brand is Tesla ahead of VW

Among the top ten makes, VW led with a share of 20.2%, followed by Audi (share: 7.6%), BMW (share: 6.4%), Skoda (share: 6.3%), Ford (share: 5.8%), Mercedes (share: 5.7%), Opel (share: 5.4%), Seat (share: 4.3%), Renault (share: 4.1%) and Peugeot (share: 3.5%).

Compared to the previous year, Skoda (+4.8%), BMW and Seat (+3.9% each), Mercedes (+3.1%), Audi (+1.1%) and VW (+0.2%) recorded increases. The numbers for Ford remained almost unchanged (+26 passenger cars). Decreases were observed for Opel (-2.9%), Peugeot (-2.6%) and Renault (-0.9%).

The five most popular makes among passenger cars with electric drive were Tesla (13 494; share: 17.6%), VW (11 649; share: 15.2%), Renault (10 177; share: 13.3%), BMW (6 611; share: 8.6%) and Hyundai (5 271; share: 6.9%).

For more detailed results and further information concerning statistics of motor vehicles please refer to our website.

Information on methods, definitions: Motor vehicle statistics (registrations of new and used vehicles as well as the stock of vehicles) are secondary statistics, compiled on the basis of daily data files sent to Statistics Austria by Austria’s association of insurance companies (VVO). VVO, in turn, receives data by the insurances’ registrations offices, responsible for registrations, de-registrations and rectifications of motor vehicles and trailers. Based on the motor vehicle stock of the previous year, all registered vehicles of the year - old and new - are added and de-registrations are deducted, resulting in the annual stock.

For further inquiries please contact Directorate Spatial Statistics, Statistics Austria:  
Gerda FISCHER, Tel. +43 1 71128-7566 resp. gerda.fischer@statistik.gv.at, 
Stefan PREMM, Tel.: +43 1 71128-7598 resp. stefan.premm@statistik.gv.at and 
Thomas JANKA, Tel.: +43 1 71128-7575 resp. thomas.janka@statistik.gv.at

Media owner, producer and publisher: 
STATISTICS AUSTRIA, Federal Institution under Public Law 
1110 Vienna, Austria, Guglgasse 13, Tel.: +43 1 71128-7777 
presse@statistik.gv.at  
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